Grackle noseband

[ronansmum]

Yesterday I did a daft thing and left Ro standing in his stable with his bridle on while I went to get his saddle. The upshot was he got tangled in the door and broke the bridle. I can get it repaired and he was fine too, thank heavens, just panicked a bit when he got fankled up....honestly I know it was stupid of me but he is usually sooooo easy and sensible ... It has been a lesson to me trust me, I shan't do that again.

The bridle is a standard Stubben 3000 with flash noseband and Aurigen bit.

Anyway that is the background but my question relates to grackle nosebands. Pam loaned me one of her bridles and it has a grackle noseband - he looked really well in it and he went very well too. It has a basic hollow snaffle bit - chrome is it? He went in a beautiful shape and was very soft and fluid in his mouth. I had thought grackles were severe and used only on horses that crossed their jaw or got very strong; Ro does set his jaw a bit so I have been advised to give and take a bit more which has had a positive effect. What I really am asking is "Will a grackle do him any harm or is it the way to go given his lovely way of going yesterday?"

Does anyone else use a grackle? Funnily enough when I was looking for a horse lots of them went in grackles, I asked one girl why and she said "he looks so good in it!!" But that can't be a good enough reason can it? I know they are fashionable....BUT!!

[duckles]

The only people I know who use grakles use them show jumping and x country because their horses get strong jumping(I think crossing jaw or other wise evading the bit). THey schoold and do flat work in basic bridle. I assume the grackle puts pressure on the nose??? so it sounds strong but I guess a lot is up to the rider. I don't know if they would be good or bad for Ronan or any horse BUT in my experience horses often go better or appear to go better when you change tack but go back to their old ways once they get used to it!! So if you are thinking of buying one, i think borrow your friends a few times more first. I took off my own noseband recently due to what I read here about the damage they can do. I believe my horse is going a bit better but very hard to say as I'm not riding much. Would you experiment with that or perhaps a drop noseband as well???

[fimacg]

I agree that when you chnage the horses tack they often go better for a while,before going back to bad habits (unless the horse is more comfortable in its new tack)

In terms of the bit aside from the difference in metal was there any difference in style. I am a complete and utter convert to multi-linked bits that dont give the nutcracker action. I have down graded brave to a very mild french link loose ring training bit and he is going like a dream in an outline with no resistance and Chompy also imprved remarkable when I swapped his snaffle to a loose ring snaffle with a roller in the middle.

I also dont think grakles are dressage legal if you want to do local dressage comps

[ronansmum]

Thank you Duckles and Fi, very helpful.

Yes you may very well be right, that the change of bridle has made this big difference!!! ;D ;D Pam did suggest I used it at home for a while to see how he gets on, I think I'd only buy one if we were going to go jumping regularly, but he isn't a puller anyway really.

Fi the bit I use is a Sprenger, (it is Australian and was fashionable once, when we first bought Sean - 1994!!) so I have had it for years and years. I think it is made of aurigen which is a copper coloured substance - "warm" and "soft" - it is quite a thick bit with a french link. It is called a training bit so I assume that means gentle. Certainly Sean, Pebs and Ro have all been comfortable with it.

The one in the grackle is a hollow jointed snaffle, bog standard I'd call it. When I bought him he had a cherry roller in, but I stopped using it within days once I knew he wasn't "strong".

Yes, thanks, I thought the grackle would not be suitable for dressage - normally I use a flash noseband but have been thinking of dispensing with the flash. Don't fancy a dropped noseband lest it restricts his breathing.

Thanks for your help.

modified for spelling mistakes and typos!!

[ronansmum]

PS I see you spell it grakle, I just googled and it seems the bridle is named after a race horse called Grakle so where or when the "c" crept in I don't know.

BTW, the one I am using is a Mexican grackle and supposedly gentler!!